All nine Group 20 clubs are faced with a situation none of them would have expected at the start of the January with the season on hold until at least May 1 due to COVID-19. The season was due to start on April 8 however now the start date is likely to be the end of May or the start of June. It's thrown a spanner in the works for clubs like Leeton and the Griffith Black and Whites who were preparing to celebrate their 100 years of football this season however the uncertainty around the season has seen the Greens make to tough decision to postpone their event until 2021. The Black and Whites, however, are still holding out hope that they will be able to hold their festivities in August. "We haven't postponed our reunion that we had planned for the August 7-9 yet, so hopefully we can still do that," Black and Whites president Craig O'Keefe said. "Playing 40 minutes in the West Wyalong knockout I'm not sure whether that constitutes another year of football or not. So if we don't play football this year, we might have to celebrate it next year." For other clubs such as Hay, significant events play a vital role in ensuring their bank balance remains in the positive and with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic one of the major fundraisers for the Magpies is under threat according to president Jack Byrnes. "It will potentially have a massive impact on the club because our major fundraiser is a B&amp;S Ball and we hold that on the June long weekend," he said. "You would have to say at this stage that is looking extremely shaky and so our finances are going to be massively knocked around." Byrnes is confident however that the club's efforts in recent years will ensure that the impact isn't as dire as it could have been a few years ago. "We have spent a bit of time on our finances over the last couple of years to make sure we have some resilience there," he said. "We use to be hand to mouth but not anymore. What we tried to establish was to have 12 months up our sleeves at any stage so that if committees change the new committee would have 12 months in the bank. "This year will put some pressure on that there is no doubt, and we will have to work hard over the next 18 months to two years to get back to that strong position." Meanwhile, in the Shire, Leeton and Yanco-Wamoon are both having meetings to determine the best way to deal with the impact the pandemic. "Our executive is getting together to discuss how this will impact our sponsors, players and coaching," Leeton president Bill Arnold said. "We have already had a Kiwi guy who has gone home. He was a paid player out here, and now he has gone home he was only here for three weeks. We have a couple of Fijian boys who are still in town that might not be able to get out of here now, so it is impacting on us player-wise." The Black and Whites found themselves in a similar situation with a couple of players prepared to make the trip across from New Zealand before having to stay put due to the borders between countries closing. Meanwhile, at the Hawks, they are having a meeting with their players to discuss the potential of pay-cuts if the season was able to get underway according to their president Craig Higgins. "A club like us we survive on running raffles and stuff like that. We aren't the most financial club, but we get by with gate taking, but we will miss out on that," he said. "We are just meeting tonight (Thursday) to see if it is viable for the sponsors or whether the players might take a pay-cut it is hard to say you just don't know how it is going to pan out." Higgins feels that from his perspective not having the season at all could work out better. "If they said that we weren't going to play at all this year that would be fine and we would have money coming into next year," he said. "If they were to cancel it for the whole season there would be no real harm done." Clubs are doing it tough with a number of their revenue streams closed due to a number of restrictions that have been put in place by the Australian Government. "We had been doing raffles in the clubs, but we can't do them now, so all of our money has been completely cut off, so it is going to be hard," Waratahs president Larry Salvestro said. "Without sponsorships and raffles and money from the games where are we supposed to get our money from? We rely a lot on Exies as our main sponsor, and they aren't allowed to be open. They are in a difficult position as well." Yenda's president Sam Panarello isn't confident that the season will be able to get underway. "I can't see it turning around real quick with the circumstances, and it's not changing for the better we are getting more cases," he said. "If we wait too long into the season it will just make it more difficult to have a season. We all want a season, and we all want football, and we want all sports because it is apart of the Australian fabric, but we have to be realistic at the moment." Meanwhile, in smaller communities, they want to see footy return as soon as possible according to Tullibigeal Lakes United president Paul McConnachie. Player fitness is also a priority, and Panarello has raised concerns about turn around time if the season was able to get started. "With the duty of care you have to have players in some sort of condition, so you are looking at at least a four-six week preseason," he said. RELATED

Group 20 clubs dealing with issues surrounding COVID-19

All nine Group 20 clubs are faced with a situation none of them would have expected at the start of the January with the season on hold until at least May 1 due to COVID-19.

The season was due to start on April 8 however now the start date is likely to be the end of May or the start of June.

UP IN THE AIR: Group 20 clubs face a period of uncertainty due to the coronavirus with the season on hold until at least May 1 with some clubs doubtful the season will start at all.

It's thrown a spanner in the works for clubs like Leeton and the Griffith Black and Whites who were preparing to celebrate their 100 years of football this season however the uncertainty around the season has seen the Greens make to tough decision to postpone their event until 2021.

The Black and Whites, however, are still holding out hope that they will be able to hold their festivities in August.

"We haven't postponed our reunion that we had planned for the August 7-9 yet, so hopefully we can still do that," Black and Whites president Craig O'Keefe said.

"Playing 40 minutes in the West Wyalong knockout I'm not sure whether that constitutes another year of football or not. So if we don't play football this year, we might have to celebrate it next year."

FUNDRAISERS PLACED ON HOLD

For other clubs such as Hay, significant events play a vital role in ensuring their bank balance remains in the positive and with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic one of the major fundraisers for the Magpies is under threat according to president Jack Byrnes.

"It will potentially have a massive impact on the club because our major fundraiser is a B&S Ball and we hold that on the June long weekend," he said.

"You would have to say at this stage that is looking extremely shaky and so our finances are going to be massively knocked around."

Byrnes is confident however that the club's efforts in recent years will ensure that the impact isn't as dire as it could have been a few years ago.

"We have spent a bit of time on our finances over the last couple of years to make sure we have some resilience there," he said.

"We use to be hand to mouth but not anymore. What we tried to establish was to have 12 months up our sleeves at any stage so that if committees change the new committee would have 12 months in the bank.

"This year will put some pressure on that there is no doubt, and we will have to work hard over the next 18 months to two years to get back to that strong position."

PLAYERS GO HOME

Meanwhile, in the Shire, Leeton and Yanco-Wamoon are both having meetings to determine the best way to deal with the impact the pandemic.

"Our executive is getting together to discuss how this will impact our sponsors, players and coaching," Leeton president Bill Arnold said.

"We have already had a Kiwi guy who has gone home. He was a paid player out here, and now he has gone home he was only here for three weeks. We have a couple of Fijian boys who are still in town that might not be able to get out of here now, so it is impacting on us player-wise."

The Black and Whites found themselves in a similar situation with a couple of players prepared to make the trip across from New Zealand before having to stay put due to the borders between countries closing.

Meanwhile, at the Hawks, they are having a meeting with their players to discuss the potential of pay-cuts if the season was able to get underway according to their president Craig Higgins.

"A club like us we survive on running raffles and stuff like that. We aren't the most financial club, but we get by with gate taking, but we will miss out on that," he said.

"We are just meeting tonight (Thursday) to see if it is viable for the sponsors or whether the players might take a pay-cut it is hard to say you just don't know how it is going to pan out."

Higgins feels that from his perspective not having the season at all could work out better.

"If they said that we weren't going to play at all this year that would be fine and we would have money coming into next year," he said.

"If they were to cancel it for the whole season there would be no real harm done."

Clubs are doing it tough with a number of their revenue streams closed due to a number of restrictions that have been put in place by the Australian Government.

"We had been doing raffles in the clubs, but we can't do them now, so all of our money has been completely cut off, so it is going to be hard," Waratahs president Larry Salvestro said.

"Without sponsorships and raffles and money from the games where are we supposed to get our money from? We rely a lot on Exies as our main sponsor, and they aren't allowed to be open. They are in a difficult position as well."

SPORT PART OF LIFE

Yenda's president Sam Panarello isn't confident that the season will be able to get underway.

"I can't see it turning around real quick with the circumstances, and it's not changing for the better we are getting more cases," he said.

"If we wait too long into the season it will just make it more difficult to have a season. We all want a season, and we all want football, and we want all sports because it is apart of the Australian fabric, but we have to be realistic at the moment."

Meanwhile, in smaller communities, they want to see footy return as soon as possible according to Tullibigeal Lakes United president Paul McConnachie.

Player fitness is also a priority, and Panarello has raised concerns about turn around time if the season was able to get started.

"With the duty of care you have to have players in some sort of condition, so you are looking at at least a four-six week preseason," he said.